Pichinku: Naturally Dyed Andean Yarn
Americas | ISSUE 01by Louise Deglin
Pichinku reconciles the social nature of not-for-profit organizations with a more financially viable model for Andean textile specialists.
Nestled in the heart of the Urubamba Valley, or Sacred Valley, outside of he city of Cusco (Peru), Pichinku isa grass roots project that rings together ancestral knowledge , specialied artisanal skills, and local biodiverisyt to creat naturally dyed yarns. This successful venture relies on the work of devoted specialists Santusa Mamani Huallpa, Angela Mila Huallpa and Ubaldina Laime Mamani under the leadership of Dana Blair, a determined woman from the U.S. who decided to take action to bring support and recognition to the world of Andean textile-making [...]
Photo: Fibers in a chilca dye bath © Diego Del Rio | Pichinku Fibers
